Below
is a re-print of an article which appeared in the July 11, 2004 Sunday
edition of the Express Times, the local newspaper in Easton,
Pennsylvania. The Newspaper also publishes a Bethlehem PA and a
Philipsburg, NJ edition. The author, Courtney Lomax, interviewed the
Quoit Master for parts of the article. Although some of the
resulting quotes are a little out of context, it is still a very
informative article about traditional metal quoits, slate board quoits,
and horseshoes. I took the liberty of inserting some corrective text
(in red) to the article to make it more
correct and meaningful to read. Thank you to Courtney and the
Express Times for putting the spotlight on Quoits in the News yet one more
time! -Troy Frey
(the Quoit Master)

These ancient pitching sports are not just
for league members. They also offer competitive recreation at summer
picnics.

"Quoits is more complex than
horseshoes because (much more)defensive
play is involved," says Troy Frey, quoitpits.com creator, of Mount
Joy, Pa., just outside Lancaster County (Delete
"County"). The competitive nature of the sport makes
it interesting to watch."

Quoits is a throwing game that dates back
to the ancient Greek Olympic discus throw. The traditional quoits game,
using metal ringers (rings), became
popular among the English noblemen in the 1300s. The game was then brought
to the American colonies in the 1600s where it has been played ever since,
according to Frey's Web site.

Now, there are two different and regionally
popular quoit games.

If playing quoits in Lancaster County, use
traditional metal quoits, made of steel, brass or bronze, pitched at metal
stakes driven into clay pits in the ground. Do not take out the rubber
quoits or the slate board.

"There are no rubber quoits in
Lancaster County," Frey explains. Rubber quoits are
"restricted" (limited) to
"the area up there." (meaning "the
Lehigh Valley region")

This version of quoits creates a longer
season of play as the boards are usable indoors. Players can start to play
slate board quoits at a younger age because they are not as heavy or
dangerous as metal quoits.

Though the game is mainly popular in
Pennsylvania, knowledge of both versions of quoits is spreading across the
country.

"Out-of-town people wonder what the
game is about," according to Sharon Shiner, retail store manager of
Gebhardts in Allentown. The store sends the Slate Belt version of quoits
as far as Florida.

"People who move out of the region
still want to play (slate board) quoits," Shiner says.

John Hawk, creator of Quoits Direct in
Easton, says one of the reasons the game has not spread to more areas in
the nation is because of the shipping cost of slate quoit boards.

"The boards weigh 60 pounds," he
says. Shipping prices range from $60 to $150 depending on the destination.
Hawk is in the process of creating a new lightweight board that will be
significantly less expensive to ship.

"The game is very addicting," he
says. "I hope to spread popularity around the country because
shipping will be less (with the new boards)."

Hawk has even shipped quoit boards and
beach quoits (two red tipped wooden stakes and four red quoits) to Iraq
and Afghanistan at the request of troops' mothers.

Frey's Web site aims to unite quoit players
nationwide while expanding knowledge of quoits to those unfamiliar with
the game.

The goal of the site is to become "the
authoritative entity for quoits in North America," says Frey.
"The Web site has drawn people who already pitch quoits and those who
want to learn more."

Slate quoit boards cost about $200 for a
set of two and quoit ringers cost about $70 for a set of four, according
to Shiner. Typically boards are 2 feet by 2 feet. People also buy the
"challenger set" 1.5 feet by 1.5 feet. The smaller board is for
more competitive play or for use at picnics and the beach, Shiner
explains.

Metal quoits can be purchased as either
steel, brass or bronze and cost from $30 to $70 for a set of four. The
metal stakes cost less than $10, Frey says. The season for metal quoits
runs from May to October, the primary (tournament)
playing time in the spring and fall.

"It is just too hot in the summer (to
hold all-day tournaments),"Frey
explains. (In the summer, pitching quoits is preferable
in the cooler evening hours, and under lights.)

Hawk recommends beach quoits that can be
played on the sand.

Another summer favorite and close relative
to quoits is the game of horseshoe pitching. Horseshoe pitching is more
widely known than quoits. The game moved west with American settlers and
became popular in the early 1900s. Horseshoe pitching originated from
quoits.

Horseshoes are larger and heavier than (rubber)
quoits. They are 2 pounds 7 ounces and 7 1/2 inches in width and 7 1/2
inches in length. Metal quoits are (the heaviest,
and are) 5 to 6 inches in diameter and 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds.
Slate board rubber quoits are about 1 pound each.

The Warren County Horseshoe Pitchers Club
began in 1983 and currently has about 30 members who meet Tuesday
evenings.

"We have a lot of fun here, whether we
pitch well or not," says club member, Doc Wasser, of Washington.

The club sponsors three to four state
tournaments a year. State tournaments can last for five or six hours. A
match is finished when 40 shoes are pitched or 35 points are earned. At
the start of the game, players determine whether they are playing number
of shoes pitched or number of points earned.

Unlike quoits, horseshoe pitching is not (as
much) a defensive sport. The player who pitches the most
ringers (usually) wins the match.

President of the Warren County Club, Louis
Mecsey, of Stewartsville, advises new players to "just start throwing
the shoe."

"Hogwash," he says of his playing
at a recent match. "No matter what I try tonight, they (horseshoes)
all go bad."

Bob Lobell, also of Panther Valley, has
been pitching horseshoes for 30 years. He advises pitching with a
"pendulum swing" and following through with "consistent
release."

"It's hard to get the younger people
interested in the league and the sport," Lobell admits "We used
to do this (pitch) until 11 p.m. Now the old people are getting too
old," he says.

Jason Mackie, 20, of Hackettstown has been
playing with the club for about a month. He pitches against his father,
Doug Mackie.

Doug Mackie enjoys the game but wishes
"there was more of a handicap for not as experienced players,"
he says.

The winner of the family match gets
bragging rights, a hearty handshake and possibly a five dollar bill, Doug
Mackie jokes.

The Mackies follow the traditional rules of
horseshoe pitching.

One point is earned for every shoe pitched
that lands one horseshoe length from the peg. A player earns three points
when the pitched horseshoe lands around the peg. Only one point is earned
for each shoe that leans against the peg, according to Mackie.

Like slate board quoits, horseshoes can be
pitched year round. The Warren County club plays indoors at the
fairgrounds in the colder months.

Children, age 12 and older, can join the
club if their parents are already members. If no parent is a member, a
child must be at least age 15 to join.

It's easy to play horseshoes at home. Sets
of four shoes and two stakes cost from $25 to $35 and are available at
local stores.